She’s known for playing the hilarious sitcom mom on her former show Roseanne and the series reboot, which was canceled in 2018, but did you know Roseanne Barr is a mother to five kids in real life? Through her marriages, the comedian is the dedicated parent of her children, Jessica, Jennifer, Jake, Buck and Brandi.
Roseanne’s journey through motherhood began in 1971 when she was 18 years old. At the time, she gave birth to a daughter named Brandi Brown, though the baby girl was later adopted by another family. Following Brandi’s adoption, Roseanne fell in love with Bill Pentland, and the two wed in 1974.
Upon marrying the Rosanne show executive consultant, the She-Devil actress and her first husband welcomed their first child together, daughter Jessica, in 1975. The couple became parents again when Roseanne gave birth to their second daughter, Jennifer, in 1976, followed by their youngest son, Jake, in 1978.
Roseanne and Bill raised their kids together for more than a decade, and just two years before they ended their marriage in 1990, the Emmy winner reconnected with her first child, Brandi, in 1988. Recalling the story of how the mother-daughter duo reunited during an interview with People a year after in 1989, Roseanne said she initially wrote a note for Brandi and planned to give it to her in 1992.
“I had left information allowing her to find me when she turned 21. I had even told my own kids about the adoption a year earlier because I knew she was 17 and might try to find me,” Roseanne shared, revealing everything changed when a tabloid found out about the adoption.
“I panicked and hired a private detective to track her down rather than have her read about me being her mom,” she continued, adding once the private investigator tracked Brandi down, they met at a Los Angeles hotel. “I turned around and felt this powerful magnet. We looked at each other. Brandi jumped out of her seat. And we started running toward each other. We embraced and wouldn’t let go of each other, hugging and crying.”
The Nanny alum became a single mom of four when she and Bill divorced after 16 years of marriage, but she quickly moved on with Tom Arnold that same year. However, the two didn’t welcome and kids together, and following just four years, Roseanne and Tom split in 1994.
In 1995, the former Last Comic Standing star married her third spouse Ben Thomas. Roseanne expanded her family when she became pregnant via IVF, welcoming her youngest child, son Buck, in 1995. Though her marriage with Ben came to an end in 2002, she’s been a dedicated mom to her beloved children. She even gets some help from her longtime partner, Johnny Argent, whom she started dating in 2003.
Keep scrolling to learn more about all five of Roseanne’s children!
Roseanne’s first child was born on May 16, 1971
As the actress recalled to People, she “gave Brandi up for adoption after nine days in Denver when [she] was 18.” Though she made the decision to not raise Brandi, Roseanne said she “always knew” they “would get back” together. “I gave my baby up to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Denver,” she shared. “They said they had a couple that had waited seven years for a Jewish baby. But the day they came to take my baby away, I whispered to [Brandi], ‘You remember this, I’ll see you when you’re 18.’”
Like Roseanne hoped, the two reconnected in 1988. “We just held on to each other, looking into each other’s eyes and crying as I told Brandi how much I had missed her for so long,” the proud mom gushed of their reunion. “I’m so glad I found her. So glad she came home.”
Since coming back into Roseanne’s life, Brandi has paved a career similar to her mom. Per IMDb, Brandi has one acting credit in a 1997 episode of the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun, but she’s also worked behind the camera. Aside from earning credit as a field producer for The Dr. Oz Show and Katie, she’s worked as a production assistant on dozens of episodes of Roseanne, The Jackie Thomas Show and Dark Faith.
Born in 1975, Jessica is the second eldest child of Roseanne.
It appears Jessica also got bit by the Hollywood bug, considering she’s worked as a writer, producer and researcher. Per IMDb, she helped write one episode of Childhood Thoughts in 2017, as well as an episode of Roseanne in 1997. Her producing credits include Black Girls Heart Charlie and The Real Roseanne Show.
Just one year after Roseanne and ex Bill welcomed their first daughter together, Jennifer was born in 1976.
Similar to her older sister Jessica, Jennifer is also a writer and producer with credits on Childhood Thoughts and Roseanne. She previously worked as a researcher on The Roseanne Show, her mom’s eponymous talk show, in 1998.
In January 2022, Jennifer released a book called This Will Be Funny Later: A Memoir. In the book, Roseanne’s youngest daughter described what it was like growing up with her famous mom in Denver in the ‘80s. Many of the storylines in the early days of Roseanne were based on real-life scenarios that the blended family went through at home.
“My life is a sitcom … I know everyone’s life is, but mine is literally,” Jennifer wrote in her authorial debut.
These days, Jennifer spends a lot of time with her big family in Hawaii, just doors down from where her mom lives. The writer is a mom to five sons, whom she shares with her husband, Jeff. Her Instagram account is full of family photos and sweet tributes to her little ones.
Roseanne’s first son, Jake, made his arrival in 1978.
By the looks of his IMDb page, Jake also followed in his mom’s footsteps, as he’s a writer, producer, director, editor and more. Per his credits, he’s helped his mother out countless times on projects like Rockin’ with Roseanne, Roseanne Barr: Blonde and Bitchin’, Roseanne’s Nuts and more.
Aside from his career, Jake is a dad. Roseanne revealed her son welcomed a baby daughter in April 2021 by sharing a photo of the family of three on Instagram, writing, “New family my son and new daughter and their gorgeous babe.” Though she’s kept a tight lip about her other grandchildren, Roseanne told Extra in 2018 that she had “six grandkids” at the time. It sounds like she’s now a grandma of seven!
Roseanne welcomed her child Buck in 1995.
As the youngest son, Buck is the one who lives his life mostly out of the spotlight. Though he has yet to make his acting debut, he has appeared on his mom’s Instagram page many times. In May 2020, Roseanne uploaded a video with the caption, “funny stories with my son,” which featured the two video chatting. “Talking with @bucktfor3!” she gushed.
Buck has also appeared on Roseanne’s social media in cute tributes. In May 2018, the star revealed Buck accomplished a big milestone when she shared a pic from his high school graduation. “My son graduated today!!” she marveled.
